EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- A major milestone is now hanging high for Downtown Eugene's latest 5-star hotel that's expected to play a big part in the greater economic recovery of Lane County.
Signs crews spent Tuesday, January 10th, 2012, around 60 feet above street level at the 5th Street Public Market in downtown Eugene, hanging a signature sign for the nearly complete “Inn at the 5th” boutique hotel.
Crews installed the lighting boxes for the sign on Tuesday. By the end of the week, electricians will wire it and install LED light bulbs, then finish it with a final red covering.
Managers are hoping to open the hotel in the first week of February 2012. It is a little behind schedule as crews have run into some challenges with the remodel and build of the project.
Building the “Inn” has brought an infusion on jobs to Eugene. About 30 to 40 people work in construction on the site each day. Now, the hotel is in the process of hiring another 40 people to help operate logistics running the hotel's 70 guest rooms.
Along with the rooms, Inn at the 5th will provide some banquet space. Managers are hoping that the hotel becomes one of the definitive places for hosting out of town guests.
“This is going to be a really large stimulus to the local economy, “says Casey Barrett, Project Manager for the Inn at the 5th.
“It's proven and published that every time someone stays in a hotel room, they spend the equivalent of their room rate in the local economy, so if we're having an average of 200 dollars a night on a standard room, that'll be spent here every single night,” says Barrett.
Once the sign is finished, crews will install an iron structure out front of the hotel to cover cars pulling in to stay. Once complete, the Inn at the 5th will be the first new hotel in downtown Eugene in nearly 30 years.
